The Scriptures and Covenants

My friend pointed me to a talk given by Elder Bednar almost 20 years ago that I really liked.  He was president of Ricks college at the time and gave a powerful talk on why we should study the scriptures (see here).  He spoke about three reasons that we should study the scriptures, and the first reason was that we are under a covenant obligation to do so.  What he was referring to was the covenant we make each week with the Sacrament to “always remember Him” (see D&C 20:77).  He made the comment that he knows of no better way to always remember the Savior than to read in the scriptures daily.  I had never thought of it that way before, that by reading the scriptures I was keeping my covenants.  Elder Bednar went so far as to say that if we are not reading our scriptures consistently then we are not fully keeping our covenants as required in the temple recommend interview questions.  I think this idea because it gives more meaning to scripture study; we aren’t just trying to understand the stories, but we are seeking to remember the Savior and learn of Him.  It gives me comfort to know that while I usually fail to “always” remember Him, I can at least try by remembering Him daily as I read and write about the scriptures. 

                It’s my understanding that the terms Old Testament and New Testament could be alternatively translated as Old Covenant and New Covenant (see here).  Elder Holland put it this way: “The words testament and covenant are virtually synonymous in their theological usage….  Thus the Old and New Testaments, as we commonly refer to them, are written testimonies or witnesses of the covenants between God and man in various dispensations.”  He went on to suggest that the Book of Mormon then is “one last covenant” and “one last testament” (Christ and the New Covenant, p. 7-8).  Clearly we can consider our book of modern day revelations—the Doctrine and Covenants—also as a covenant that we have that we must remember.  So if we can think of these books of scriptures themselves as covenants, then that is all the more reason to associate keeping our covenants with reading and pondering the scriptures.  The Lord himself gave this rebuke to the early Saints: “They shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them” (D&C 84:57).  Surely that condemnation has not fully been lifted, and we are not right before the Lord if we do not remember the covenants—the scriptures—that He has given us.  As we “remember the new covenant” we are remembering the Savior and the “blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28).